The present invention relates to a front vehicle-body structure of a vehicle which comprises a stiffener for sweeping legs of a pedestrian away so as to move the pedestrian onto a hood (bonnet) of the vehicle in case the vehicle collides with the pedestrian at its front portion.
Conventionally, the above-described stiffener for sweeping pedestrian's legs away is provided between a pair of front side frames extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction at both sides of an engine room, having its width in a vehicle width direction which is substantially equal to the width of a radiator shroud. Accordingly, if this stiffener was connected only to the radiator shroud, the sufficient attachment rigidity could be secured. In these days, however, it has been desired that the above-described stiffener is arranged widely over an entire width range of the above-described pair of front side frames being provided as a vehicle-body rigidity member.
In this case, it may be necessary to arrange the stiffener over the width of a front bumper arranged at the front portion of the vehicle so as to extend outward beyond the shroud panel in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, only the connection of the stiffener to the radiator shroud described above could not provide the sufficient attachment rigidity. Further, it has been desired that the stiffener can provide the sufficient attachment rigidity in a normal state, and also in the state of vehicle's colliding with any pedestrian the stiffener can be easily separated off or broken without resisting improperly so as to secure the safety of pedestrian.
Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-73309 discloses a structure in which the stiffener for sweeping pedestrian's legs away is arranged widely so as to extend outward beyond a heat exchanger in the vehicle width direction, and this stiffener is attached to crush cans provided at front ends of the sub frames. This structure, however, has a problem in that since the connection of the stiffener to the crush cans is non-detachable, the stiffener would resist improperly in the vehicle collision with the pedestrian.